


A Bump in the Road

by Green_Eyed_Dragon_Fanfiction



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Romantic Comedy, romcom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 07:25:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12502016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green_Eyed_Dragon_Fanfiction/pseuds/Green_Eyed_Dragon_Fanfiction
Summary: You have a great life. A boyfriend who loves you, and a promising interview at your dream job. However, you soon find even the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Luckily for you, you find help from an unexpected source.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your life is perfect. It’s everything you want it to be and more… until a series of events makes it crumble around you. However, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it comes from an unexpected source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Reader
> 
> Warnings: Swearing (as always)
> 
> It’s my first time writing something for this genre and I hope you all enjoy it!

[Originally posted by imaginingbucky](https://tmblr.co/Z-g39h29u-D7g)

You had your interview today. It was a huge opportunity for you and you’d woken up early; way before your boyfriend, Austin, had even stirred. You gave him a kiss on the cheek but he was so dead to the world he didn’t even twitch. You smiled down at him and took a moment to appreciate the life you’d built together. You’d moved in nearly a year ago to an apartment on the north side of New York City, but everything was still a roller coaster. Austin often worked late into the day, earning enough money to make up for the much smaller amount you currently made. He was busy and you did your best to support him, waking up early to make him lunches and having dinner ready before he got home. You only had the one part-time job, so time wasn’t an issue for you and you loved cooking anyway. 

Today, though, you focused on yourself. You spent extra time in the bathroom, getting your makeup just right and taking special care with your hair. By the time you were satisfied you looked gorgeous. You took the time to scramble up some eggs and make some toast, not wanting to stop for food on the way. You glanced at the clock.

 _Yup, right on time_ , you thought to yourself, smiling a little. You were determined to make today perfect.

“I’m leaving for the interview, babe! Have a good day!” you called down the hallway, earning only a garbled “Good luck” in response. You smiled, chuckling a little. You were surprised you got a response at all; He was always grumpy and nonverbal in the morning. 

It was early- the sun was barely up- but people were already bustling up and down the street. Shops were opening and people headed every which way on their journey to work. You unlocked your phone and started playing some music through your headphones before pulling up directions to the building they’d told you to come to for the interview.

It was only a few stops on the subway, then a short walk. Nothing too horrible, but you’d have to go into Manhattan, which you hated. That was part of why you’d given yourself so much time; If there was an unexpected delay or if something went wrong, you wouldn’t be late. 

The subway was packed, as always, but you made it onto your train and arrived safely at your stop a short while later. You emerged from the subway station, realizing only at that moment that it looked like it was going to rain (and soon, by the looks of those clouds). 

You watched in horror as a thick sheet of rain made its way down the street, straight towards you. You ducked into the nearest cafe, cursing yourself for not checking the weather or thinking ahead enough to bring an umbrella. 

Still, you had some time and getting a cup of coffee definitely wasn’t the end of the world. The building was close by and, if need be, you could make a run for it. You’d get a little wet, but it wouldn’t be too bad. You decided to hold out to see if it got a little less horrible first, though, and enjoy your coffee in the warmth of the shop in the meantime. 

To your delight, it let up only a little while later. Your coffee had barely even cooled down enough to drink. 

You grabbed your jacket, threw it on quickly, then grabbed your purse and made a hasty exit from the shop. You pulled your phone out and were so engrossed in bringing up the directions that you didn’t have time to dodge the man that was storming out of the shop you were walking past, phone jammed angrily to his ear. 

“Listen, punk! I didn’t sign up for-” 

You had just enough time to look up at the noise before he bowled into you, knocking you to the wet, cold ground. It felt like getting hit by a brick wall. As if that weren’t enough, your coffee had been shoved from your hand and spilled down your entire front, ruining your shirt completely and soaking you with hot coffee. 

You looked down at yourself in horror. You didn’t have time to go back home and change. You had time, still, but not that much. You started panicking. You had to get a new shirt…. and oh, fuck, pants, too. The coffee had stained those, too (not to mention they were soaking from landing in a puddle.

“ **Is this really happening?** ” you asked, barely holding it together. “This can’t be happening,” you said incredulously. 

“Oh, hell, I’m so sorry,” he said, demeanor changing in an instant. “Call you back, Steve,” he said absently to the person he’d been on the phone with. He ended the call and shoved his phone in his back pocket. He extended a hand which you took reluctantly. You had to get a change of clothes, and fast. Your blood froze when you realized. Did you even have enough money for a completely new outfit? You racked your brain, thinking. If you were careful with what you bought, you’d probably still have enough for bills and groceries this month, but-

“Miss?” the man who’d knocked you over asked hesitantly, leaning down slightly so he was eye level with you. You blinked, realizing he’d been talking to you while you’d been lost in your own head. It was only then that you really looked at him and you swore you stopped breathing. 

He was stunning. Steel blue eyes bored into yours, concerned frown on his face. His short dark brown hair was styled nicely and you had the overwhelming urge to run your fingers through it; it looked so soft. You realized you were staring and quickly avoided his gaze, dusting yourself off self-consciously. 

“Sorry, what?” you asked, distracted. As pretty as this man was, you had to figure everything out before your scheduled interview time, which was looming closer by the second.

“Are you alright?” he asked, eyes roaming you up and down for any injuries. 

Was that a Brooklyn accent? It sounded like a Brooklyn accent. “Yeah, I’m fine,” you said. It wasn’t technically a lie. You weren’t hurt, but you were about to have a meltdown. “I, uh, really have to go. I’m in a rush,” you said distractedly. It was harder than it should have been to turn around and walk away from him, but you had things to do. With one last look at him you turned and started jogging away, purse clutched under your arm, jacket held over the worst of the coffee stain. 

“Wait! Please!” you froze, surprised, as his hand closed gently around your arm. You turned and eyed him up and down suspiciously. You were suddenly aware of how much bigger he was than you. You’d taken some self defense classes, but he looked ripped. You didn’t like your chances if he ended up being a creep. Once you’d stopped, though, he let go of your arm and gave you an apologetic look. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have- Uh, please let me make it up to you,” he said earnestly. 

“What do you mean?” you asked, genuinely surprised. Chivalry from a random passerby? In New York City? In 2017?

“Let me pay for the dry cleanin’, or-” he looked at your soiled white shirt and grimaced. “-Or just replace it altogether. That was completely my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was goin’, and-”

You were… pleasantly surprised. That was a kind offer. However, you didn’t have time to put your clothes through dry cleaning and didn’t want to just take money from a stranger. 

“I’m sorry, I really am in a hurry. I have an interview in-” you checked your watch and let out a strangled cry “-45 minutes! I have to go buy new clothes and-”

“Let me take you shoppin’. I’ll pay for all of it,” he said seriously. 

You gaped at him, taken completely off guard. “Are you for real right now?” you asked, looking him up and down like he was some sort of alien. 

He nodded earnestly, waiting for your answer. 

You bit your lip, weighing your options. Somewhere between thinking about how much time you had left and how much money you had in your bank account you hit _Fuck It._

“Alright, but let’s hurry, please,” you said, nodding to him. His smile was radiant and you felt your cheeks heat under his gaze. 

“Thanks, Doll,” he said as he took your hand and pulled you down the street. You realized only then that he had a glove on his hand and it felt… surprisingly hard underneath. A prosthetic maybe? You knew you should have been more upset about a stranger holding your hand, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

* * *

“Barneys? You’re taking me to Barneys?” you asked, staring up at the huge luxury department store in shock. 

He shrugged, looking between you and the store. “It was close by and I hear they have nice clothes.” 

You scoffed. That was the understatement of the century. “You know how expensive they are, right?” you asked, eyeing the people who went in and out of the store warily. 

He chuckled and pulled you along, into the store. “I think I’ll be ok, but thank you for being worried about my financial well-bein’,” he said, stopping to look at the directory. “Women’s… women’s…” he mumbled as he scanned the sign. “Ah, floor five. Let’s go,” he said, stepping onto the escalator. You shuffled along behind him, eyes roaming the department store as you went up the levels. You didn’t even _dream_ of coming in here. If you had that much money to spend on clothes you’d put it towards savings instead. 

“What time is your interview?” he asked, glancing at his watch. 

“10:15,” you said, nervousness returning at the mention of the looming deadline. 

“We’ve got time, but it’ll be close,” he said easily, stepping off the escalator onto the fifth floor. “Let’s get this done and get you out of here and on your way,” he said, letting go of your hand to start searching through racks of clothes. You started searching, too. It was only a few minutes later when he popped up between shelves of clothes, an elegant white blouse in his hands.

“Here, how about this?” he asked, holding it out to you. 

“It’s perfect,” you said, admiring it. He even got the size right and he didn’t even have to ask. 

“Just some pants now, then?” he asked, eyeing your stained pair guiltily. 

You hummed your assent, moving to the other side of the floor where they kept their bottoms. You found a passable pair within a minute or two, thankful for all of the nice clothing options. 

“All set?” he asked, surprising you again. Man, he was good at sneaking up on you.

“Yeah, seems like,” you said, holding up the pants a little for him to see. 

“Let’s go pay, then,” he said, nodding his head towards the escalators. 

You nodded, suddenly a little sad your time with him would be over soon. He was a gentleman, something you didn’t see a whole lot of nowadays. Although you convinced yourself your eyes were playing tricks on you, it almost seemed as though he was having similar thoughts, frown creasing his brow.

Ten minutes later you’d paid for the clothing and changed in the store’s bathroom, throwing the tags and soiled clothes into the trash. You had to admit, the shirt _did_ look great on you. He’d chosen well. 

You went back to the front of the store where he said he’d be waiting and, to your surprise, a taxi was waiting at the curb for you. He beckoned you over, opening the door for you. 

“You look great. You’re gonna kill at that interview, Doll,” he said, smiling at you. You felt your cheeks heat again and gave him a small smile back. 

“C’mon, you’re gonna be late,” he said, gesturing to the cab. “I’ve already paid for wherever you need to go, and Albert here has promised to get you there quickly.”

“You didn’t have to-” 

“Go!” he said, smiling widely at you. 

[Originally posted by little--batman](https://tmblr.co/Z_ANMp2Ed_0Fb)

He was right. You were going to be late. You slid easily into the cab and buckled your seat belt as he closed the cab’s door. 

It was only once the door shut that you realized you hadn’t said thank you. You spun in your seat as the cab pulled off of the curb. He was still on the sidewalk, watching your taxi as it went. He seemed surprised that you’d turned around, confusion clear on his face. You smiled and mouthed “ _thank you_ ” very clearly and he broke out in a smile.

It only hit you once you turned back around. You hadn’t even gotten his name. 

The light had turned green and your eyes widened in horror. You rolled down the window and stuck your head out and yelled “What’s your name?!” 

He’d turned to walk away but at the sound of your voice he turned around again. Even as the cab took you farther and farther away you could see the smile on his lips. He opened his mouth and said something, but you couldn’t hear it. He was too far away and the sounds of the city drowned him out.

Then, the cab turned the corner and he vanished from view.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Female!Reader
> 
> Warnings: Swearing (as always)
> 
> Karen! Yaaay Karen! Why is the header gif Karen? Well, read and find out, ya bozo. Sorry for the lack of Bucky in this chapter, but it’s important!

[Originally posted by secretgif-s](https://tmblr.co/ZzTpWj2NqvsWf)

You were over the moon. The interview had gone amazingly and you’d been all but hired on the spot. You were finally getting your dream job. You were done sooner than you thought you’d be, so you decided to stop at your and Austin’s favorite Thai place on the way home as a surprise. It might be a little early to celebrate, but you wanted to after the stressful day you had.

You exited the subway car and started auto-piloting your way towards home, letting your mind wander as you walked. You wished you could see that man again, to thank him properly. The outfit you were now wearing cost easily three times as much as the outfit you’d left your house in this morning.

Before you knew it you were home, your key sliding in the lock on the door. You opened the door, surprised to see lights on. To your greater surprise, Austin was in the kitchen, shirtless and… cooking?

You set the food you’d brought down on the kitchen table (Ah, well. They’d make good leftovers) and snuck up behind him and wrapped your arms around his midsection. “Hey, babe! What are you doing home? Are those chicken fajitas I smell?” you asked, broad smile on your face. Austin cooked so rarely there was no way you weren’t going to eat whatever he was making.

He whirled, surprised, eyes wide as he took in your sudden appearance.

“(Y/N)?” he asked, as though he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Shouldn’t you be at work right now?”

“What are you talking about, babe? I took time off today for that interview I told you about, remember?” you asked, confused by his demeanor. “Isn’t that… why you’re cooking and…” you gestured helplessly to his shirtless body.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, doing a flawless impression of a fish out of water.

[Originally posted by lord-bat-jesus](https://tmblr.co/ZVlQsk2JE7WTN)

You were about to ask if he was alright when movement in the corner of your eye caught your attention. You looked down the hallway and you swore the world around you stopped.

A beautiful woman stood there, only wearing one of Austin’s shirts. “Austin, baby, what’s-” she froze when she saw you, too. You stepped away from Austin, arms dropping to your side lifelessly. You both stared at each other, matching looks of shock on your face. Then all at once the tension broke.

“Who the hell is she?” you both asked him at the same time.

“Who the hell am I?” you said in unison again, giving each other looks of disbelief.

“I’m his girlfriend!” you said at the same time she did.

“You’re his what?!” you both screeched, turning to face Austin who was now doing an astonishingly convincing impression of a man who wanted to be anywhere else but there at the moment.

“Austin!” “Baby!”

He snapped out of his thousand yard stare and looked between the both of you, clearly at a loss.

Suddenly, the weight of what was happening hit you. “You’ve been… cheating on me? For how long?” you asked, tears stinging your eyes.

“You said you lived with your sister, you bastard!” the other woman yelled, turning on her heel to storm off towards the bedroom, likely to get dressed.

Austin watched her go, clearly torn. “Austin,” you said, voice deadly quiet as tears rolled down your face. His gaze snapped to yours, his face twisting painfully as he took in your shattered expression. “How. Long.” you asked, barely controlled anger boiling just beneath the surface.

He couldn’t hold your gaze, eyes flicking to the ground. He, apparently, at least had the decency to own up to his actions. “Three months,” he muttered.

“Three… months?” you asked faintly. Your knees felt weak, like they were about to give out. And why wouldn’t they? Your world was shattering around you, so why wouldn’t you shatter with it?

He reached for you suddenly, as though he was going to wrap his arms around you but you shoved him backwards with more force than you thought you were capable of.

“Baby, I’m so sorry. It was a mistake, please don’t-”

“Stop talking. Right now,” you said, taking in a rattling breath, attempting to hold back the sobs. “You are going to leave. Right now. You’re going to come back in three hours, and I’m going to be gone. You’re never going to talk to me again. Do you understand?” you said, glaring at the man in front of you.

“Please don’t do this, babe, I lo-”

“Don’t you dare say it, you bastard. Get. Out.” you hissed, pointing to the door.

“I don’t even have a shirt-”

“Out!” you screeched, likely loud enough for the entire apartment complex to hear.

He reluctantly headed towards the door. Every time he opened his mouth to speak you told him to shut the fuck up and walk. Once he was out the door you walked over to it and slammed it in his face, locking it behind you.

When you turned, the mystery woman was standing there, looking distraught. It wasn’t her fault, but you hated her. She didn’t know about you, but you hated her. It was only her naivety that kept you from ripping her a new one, too.

“Do you have all of your things?” you asked, voice tight.

She nodded, mouth set in a hard line.

“Good. Now get the hell out,” you said, venom lacing your words. She scurried to the door as you opened it and you shut if firmly behind her. As soon as it was closed you sunk to the floor, tears flowing freely down your face. You wouldn’t sob. You wouldn’t. That fucking pig wasn’t worth the effort.

You did the only thing you knew you could do at that point. You called your best friend.

She picked up on the second ring. “(Y/N)? Can it wait, I’m in the middle of writing a sto-”

“Karen,” you said, voice cracking. It was all she needed to know something was wrong. Very wrong.

“What’s wrong? Where are you?” she asked. You could hear her shuffling papers and things as she gathered up her purse.

“My apartment. It- it was-” you couldn’t say the words. You couldn’t even say his name.

“Shh, it’s alright. I’ll be there soon,” she said. You heard her say something to someone around her, but you couldn’t make out the words. “Will you be okay until I get there?” she asked. You could tell she’d made it out onto the street by the increase in noise.

“Yeah,” you said, voice airy.

“Do you need to go to the hospital? Should you be on the phone with 911 right now?” she asked, anxious.

“No, no. It’s not… like that, Karen,” you said, wiping the tears from your cheeks with your sleeve. “Could you… do me a favor though? Bring your car and maybe some boxes?”

“I mean, I will, but why-”

“Please,” you said simply, barely holding back the sobs.

She let out a sigh. “Alright, fine. I’ll be there in fifteen. Don’t do anything stupid ‘til I get there, alright?” she said severely, though you knew there was nothing but affection for you there.

“Alrigh’“ you croaked. “And thanks, Kare,” you said, tiny smile sneaking its way onto your lips.

“Anytime, (Y/N). See you soon,” she said before ending the call.

You stared blankly at your phone for a minute before you shoved it in your pocket. You gazed at the apartment and took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to even out your breathing. When you were confident you weren’t about to have a mental breakdown you stood and began collecting everything of yours that you could see and started piling it up.

By the time Karen arrived you’d gotten all of your things from the kitchen in a pile.

You opened the door to let her in and she rocketed herself at you, squeezing you tighter than a woman of her size should be able to.

After a second she let you go and held you at arms length, scrutinizing every inch of you “You’ve been crying.”

“Austin, uh- Austin’s been cheating on me. Three months,” you said, eyes getting watery again. Damn, just when they’d stopped.

“I’m going to go punch him in his face,” she hissed, turning to look over her shoulder. “I swear if he’s still out there when we leave I’ll do it,” she said, hugging you fiercely again. 

“Can you be the best friend ever and… help me get all of my shit out of here… and maybe also let me stay with you for a night or two?” you asked sheepishly.

“Of course I can! But you’re buying me dinner. And probably also a few drinks,” she said, winking at you. You smiled at her, this time initiating a bone-crushing hug.

“Alright, let’s get to work,” she said, rolling up her sleeves.

* * *

Two and a half hours later you and Karen had finished scouring the apartment for anything you wanted to keep and packed it haphazardly away into the boxes she’d brought (although a good amount of it just got thrown in the back seat of her car or into trash bags for easy transportation).

“Is that everything, you think?” Karen asked, looking over her shoulder at you. Doing something had helped get your mind off of things but now, as you looked around your apartment, it hit you all over again.

You put on a brave face and nodded. “I think so.”

“Well if it’s not I think I know someone who’d be happy to retrieve anything you wanted in return for a few bottles of whiskey,” Karen said, rolling her eyes at the thought of said person.

You felt like asking her about whatever she was talking about, but decided to table it for a different, less terrible day.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” you said, grabbing the Thai food you’d brought with you.

You walked to the door, gave the apartment one last glare for good measure, and slammed the door. You never wanted to set foot in the place again.

* * *

[Originally posted by ffrankcastle](https://tmblr.co/ZO1Fgk2KAJYFX)

Four hours later you were at a bar named Josie’s with Karen and her friend, Foggy Nelson.

“Wait, you actually go by Foggy?” you’d asked when Karen had introduced him.

He held his arms open wide and shrugged. “It just kinda stuck,” he’d said, smiling resignedly.

That was two hours ago and the three of you were working through a bottle of… snake liquor? Cobra liquor? You weren’t sure anymore, which meant it was either working or killing you… or both.

“Remember when we had that eel drink?” Karen asked Foggy, giggling tipsily.

“Of course! I remember its mighty eel strength!” Foggy said, flexing his mostly nonexistent muscles.

You snorted. “Wait wait wait, what is this about eel?”

“There was an eel in the bottle,” Karen said, wagging her finger as she gave you a look that said she thought she’d explained everything completely.

You raised an eyebrow and leaned forward so you could look past her to Foggy. You jerked your thumb at her, raising your eyebrow higher in obvious question.

He laughed at the both of you. “We were drinking here one night and got halfway through a-” he was interrupted by a violent hiccup “-bottle before we realized there was something in it,” he said, shrugging like it was a totally normal thing.

“It was an eel?” you asked, incredulous.

Karen turned and nodded vigorously at you, and Foggy smiled and nodded, too. “We think so, at least.”

“Is that why we’re drinking snake whiskey?” you asked as you held the bottle up to the light.

Karen gasped, horrified. “There’s a snake in there?” She clamored for the bottle, grabbed it from you, and held it up to the light. She studied it closely before turning back to you.

“Are you sure it’s not another eel?” she asked glancing between you and the bottle.

“It says Snake Whiskey on the front, Kare,” you said, turning the bottle around so the label faced her.

She squinted at it for a moment before she grabbed your glass and poured you another shot.

“You can still read this, which means you’re not drunk enough,” she said, slamming the bottle down on the table.

“Alright, alright, bossy,” you said, taking the shot. Yup, still burned. Maybe that was the snake at work.

“I’m cutting _you_ off though, missy,” Foggy said, sliding the bottle safely out of Karen’s reach.

“Tha’s fine, I’m not the one who’s supposed to be drunk here anyway,” she said, shrugging. “Oh, by th’ way, how did that innerview go? The one Claire helped set up fr’you?” Karen asked, words slurring together dangerously.

You smiled broadly at that, the events of this morning coming back to you vividly. “You wouldn’t believe it, Kare. Some guy bumped into me and spilled coffee down my shirt and knocked me into a puddle!” you said, smile on your face.

“Why are you smiling about that?” Foggy asked, clearly confused.

“Because he was such a gentleman! He bought be an entirely new outfit as an apology!” you gushed, starry-eyed.

Foggy scoffed. “Please, he probably thought you’d sleep with him or something.”

You gasped and reached across Karen to smack him lightly. “How dare you! He didn’t ask for anything in return!” you said, scowling at him.

“Really? Not even your number?” Karen asked, somehow following the conversation in her state.

You shook your head. “Didn’t even get my name. We were in such a rush… I didn’t get his, either,” you said, leaning forward to rest your chin on the table, gazing into the abyss.

“And just like that, she’s gone again,” Foggy said, sipping at his beer.

“Hey, hey. No wait, come back. Tell me ‘bout this myst’ry man,” Karen said, nudging you with her shoulder.

You turned your head to look at her, huffing out a sigh before you sat back up. “He was tall. And muscular. It felt like walking into a brick wall when he knocked me over. He had these gorgeous grey-blue eyes and this dark brown hair… He had the nicest voice… and I’m an idiot, Kare,” you said miserably.

She seemed like she was about to say something to try to comfort you, but she was distracted by your phone, whose notification light was flashing.

“You got a message, (Y/N),” she said pointing to your phone where it laid on the table.

You’d already blocked the King of the Dicks on every social platform you could think of, so this wasn’t him. You picked up your phone despondently and tapped the screen to life.

It was an email.

Your heart beat faster in your chest, excitement and dread in equal parts. You recognized that address.

“It’s… the people I had an interview with today.” 

At that, Karen scooted closer to you, head merely inches from yours. She stared excitedly at the screen. “Let’s read it, then!”

Even Foggy looked over curiously.

You unlocked your phone and opened the message, eyes scanning the the text apprehensively.

A second later you cheered, practically jumping out of your seat. “Yes! I got the job!” you said, hugging Karen tightly.

“Of course you did! You’re amazing!” she said, laughing happily along with you. Foggy had a hand up for a high five, which you gave with unbridled elation.

“When do you start?” Foggy asked curiously after he ordered a celebratory (and ill-advised) round to celebrate.

“Two days from now,” you said, grinning broadly.

“Wait, where are you even working? I don’t think you ever mentioned that,” Foggy said, obviously racking his brain trying to think about it.

You looked to Karen seriously, then to Foggy, then back to Karen. You leaned over and whispered into her ear. “He trustworthy?” you asked suspiciously.

Karen nodded enthusiastically. “100%,” she assured you.

You beckoned Foggy forward and he obliged (only after giving Karen a confused look). When he stopped about a foot away from your face you beckoned him even closer and he shrugged, moving his ear right next to your face.

“I got a job with the Avengers!” you squeaked, probably a little louder than you should have.

Foggy looked shocked. Whatever he’d been expecting, it hadn’t been that. “You mean _the_ Avengers?” he hissed incredulously. “Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, The Vision? _Those_ Avengers?” he whispered.

You nodded enthusiastically, unable to keep the shit-eating grin off of your face.

“Man, I thought it would be, like, I don’t know, travel journalism or something? Maybe professional puppy hugger? Not a secret agent,” he said, looking impressed.

“C'mon, we have to make sure you get home and sleep this off so you’re okay by the time you start,” Karen said, fishing around in her purse for cash to pay her tab.

“I got it already, Karen,” Foggy said, gently shoving the money back into her purse, and she mumbled a thank you.

“I can move in there once I start,” you told her, grinning. “They have a… well it honestly feels sort of like a college dorm. A really, really fancy, high-security college dorm.”

“Are you sure you want to move in there?” she asked, brows furrowed in concern as you all moved towards the exit.

“Well, I can’t impose on you forever and living in New York is expensive,” you said, frowning. “Plus, I think it’ll be fun,” you said bracingly.

She gasped. “Take me with you? To help you move in?” she asked, thrilled by the idea.

You eyed her warily. “Fine, but you can’t use any info you get there for your work or I’ll be fired before I even start.”

She nodded, shaking your hand. “Deal.”

“Alright, ladies. Let’s get you home,” Foggy said, linking elbows with the both of you. 

As you walked home a thought struck you. Maybe today wasn’t as horrible as it could have been… and a lot of it was thanks to your mystery man.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your life is perfect. It’s everything you want it to be and more… until a series of events makes it crumble around you. However, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it comes from an unexpected source.
> 
> Bucky tells Steve about the mystery dame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Female!Reader
> 
> Warnings: Swearing (as always)
> 
> I know this chapter is really short! Sorry, loves. I promise the next one will be longer.

[Originally posted by vintagefangirll](https://tmblr.co/Z3pcQp2Clk1D4)

You and Karen ended up crashing on the living room floor that night, luckily in your right minds enough to lay down cushions and blankets first. She’d asked about a million times if you were alright, and each time you gave her the same answer: “Not really, Kare. But I’ll manage.”

And you did. Mostly. You woke up the next day completely hungover. You could barely function enough to get up and scavenge for food, much less form coherent thoughts about your asshole ex. 

One cup of coffee and a grueling meal later, Karen stirred. 

“Morning, sleeping beauty. How’s the head feelin’?” you asked her cheekily from your spot at the kitchen island, knowing she’d probably be even worse off than you. 

She groaned loudly and glared at you, hair sticking out every which way. “Snake doesn’t agree with me,” she muttered as she got up in a huff.  “Is that coffee?” she whispered, sniffing the air tentatively as she stretched and walked over to the kitchen. 

“And toast. There are some eggs, too, if you’re feeling brave,” you said, smiling at her. 

“Shh, shh. No yelling,” she said, placing a finger on your lips. 

You chuckled, broad smiling working its way onto your face. You licked her finger and she glared at you in disgust before moving it out of range of your tongue. 

“You’re gross,” she said, affection working its way into her voice as she busied herself with making a cup of coffee. 

“You’re welcome,” you whispered, winking playfully at her over your mug. 

“Thanks for speaking at a normal volume,” she said as she plated herself some toast and eggs. 

“I was speaking at a normal volume the entire time,” you whispered, sipping at your coffee as you chased the remnants of your eggs around your plate with your fork. 

“No, you were definitely screaming,” she said, massaging her temple with her fingers. She placed her food down next to you, plopping down in the seat beside you a second later. 

“So,” she said, taking a bite of toast.

“Oh god, here we go,” you said under your breath, rolling your eyes. 

A devious grin snuck onto her face. “What was all that about a mystery gentleman?”

* * *

**Bucky’s POV**

_**Yesterday, two hours after you’d met Bucky** _

[Originally posted by in-perfectenschlag](https://tmblr.co/ZZB6-e2I13MkU)

Bucky practically barrelled through Steve’s door. 

Steve had been expecting Bucky, but earlier and not quite as… distressed? Steve had been expecting more outright anger, honestly.

“Hey, Buck,” Steve said tentatively, eyebrow raised as he carefully studied Bucky’s posture. He carefully set his pen down on top of his sketch pad and leaned back in his desk chair.

“Don’t ‘hey Buck’ me, Stevie. I _did not_ sign up for this,” he crossly, pointing to his hair. 

Yup, there it was. “That was actually Natash-” Steve said defensively, wincing.

“Steve, when you convinced me to get a haircut I expected them to take off a little bit! Not lop it all of AND give me a complete makeover!” he said, motioning to himself dramatically. 

“If it makes you feel any better, you look great,” Steve said brightly, giving him a thumbs up. 

“Not really, Steve! I attract _way_ more attention this way, which is exactly what I wanted to avoid!” he said, exasperation clear in his voice. 

“Buck, you’ve been given a full pardon,” Steve said sadly, heart twisting at how Bucky still beat himself up over what he had no control over. “You deserve to go out and… have a life!” he said, motioning vaguely to the room’s window (more accurately, the world beyond it).

“Oh, yeah. You’re really one to give me advice on that, aren’t you? When was the last time you left the base, not includin’ missions?” Bucky asked as he crossed his arms and gave Steve a challenging look. 

“I had a date with Sharon just a few days ago!” Steve said defensively. They were definitely getting off topic, and-

“Doesn’t count. She was the one who asked you out _and_ she planned the whole thing,” Bucky said, glowering at his friend. “When was the last time you went and had fun? For yourself?”

Steve gaped at his friend, racking his brain. He looked away. Bucky was right, but… something was off. Bucky was too on edge for this to be about a haircut and some new clothes.

“What’s wrong, Bucky?” Steve asked perceptively. 

Bucky froze, and Steve suddenly knew he’d been right. Something else was bothering him.

“Buck?” Steve asked, suddenly concerned. When Bucky didn’t respond, or even move, Steve started to panic, sitting up tensely in his chair. “Was it Hydra? Are you alright? Did something happen in the ci-”

Bucky held his hands up placatingly. “Steve, Steve, no. It… nothin’ like that happened,” he said despairingly. He groaned and sunk to the floor, burying his face in his hands. “It was a dame,” he mumbled, looking up at Steve.

Steve hadn’t been expecting that. He leaned back in his chair again, convinced he’d heard wrong at first. “A dame?” he asked dumbly. Bucky Barnes? Having trouble with women? The world must be coming to an end. “What do you mean?” he asked, completely confused. 

“There was this… beautiful, amazin’ woman, Stevie. Remember when I cut our call short?” he asked, and Steve nodded. “Well, I bumped into this gal. Knocked her right over on accident, straight into a puddle. Made her spill her coffee all over her shirt,” Bucky explained, frowning.

“Was she alright?” Steve asked, “mom” voice completely taking over his normal tone.

“Yeah, she was fine,” Bucky said, smiling a little. “I helped her up and offered to pay for the dry cleanin’, but she was havin’ none of it. Said she was in a rush. Turned to leave, but I stopped her. Didn’t want to leave her like that in the middle of New York, y’know?” he said, shrugging slightly. Steve nodded, brows furrowed as he tried to follow Bucky’s story. “I insisted that I should pay for a new outfit, and she agreed, but- God, what if she thought I was creepy? I even held her hand-” he threw himself back onto Steve’s floor, splayed out like a starfish. Your face flashed in his memory; a small smile on your face as the two of you held hands, walking down a busy New York street. 

“Well, she went with you, right? And I know you wouldn’t have forced her to do anything. She had a choice, and she chose to go with you,” Steve asked the pathetic pile of man that was laying on his floor. 

Bucky nodded his head slowly, turning it to look at Steve and Steve smiled. “Then she didn’t think you were creepy, pal.”

Bucky smiled a little at that. “She was amazing, Steve. Funny, intelligent, beautiful… and I only got a half hour with her,” Bucky lamented. 

“Well you got her number, right?” Steve asked dismissively, crossing his arms. Bucky looked away guiltily. “You didn’t?” Steve asked, incredulous. Bucky shook his head, cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. “Well, at least you have her name, we can-” Steve stopped mid sentence at the look on Bucky’s face. “Bucky…?” he asked slowly, hardly daring to believe it. 

“I didn’t get her name, either,” he said sheepishly, avoiding Steve’s gaze. 

Steve groaned. “Bucky, you could walk into a dance hall in the 40′s and walk out with the names of ten girls and only have spoken to half of them,” Steve said incredulously.

“Yeah, well, I’m a little rusty. You’ll have to forgive me,” Bucky said scathingly, flipping Steve the bird. 

Steve heaved out a sigh and studied his friend closely. “Man, she really did a number on you, huh?” he asked, as he propped his elbow up on his desk and rested his chin on his fist. 

Bucky groaned as he sat up and leveled a glare at Steve. “I hate you, punk,” he said, though the animosity wasn’t there. 

Steve rolled his eyes. “Back at ya, jerk,” he teased. He gave Bucky an appraising stare. “So, what are you gonna do about it?” he asked expectantly. 

Bucky looked surprised. “What do you mean?” he asked, confused. 

“How are you gonna find your mystery dame?” Steve asked as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, grin tugging at his lips. 

Bucky rolled his eyes. “I don’t have a name, number, or picture of her. Unless I resort to stalkin’ or spyin’, I’m not gonna find her. And I’m not going to resort to stalkin’ or spyin’,” he said dismissively. He looked at the ground and took a deep breath. “Besides, she’s better off without me muckin’ up her life,” he said as he looked up at Steve, sad smile on his lips. 

Steve frowned. He was slipping again; Back into that abyss that haunted him day and night. Steve watched as his gaze became shadowed, darker thoughts taking over his consciousness. 

“You’ll see her again,” Steve said confidently. 

Bucky scoffed and rolled his eyes at Steve. “And how do you know that?” he asked, obviously not believing a word Steve said. 

Steve smiled broadly, nudging Bucky’s knee with his foot. “Call it a hunch.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your life is perfect. It’s everything you want it to be and more… until a series of events makes it crumble around you. However, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it comes from an unexpected source.
> 
> You start your new job the Avengers compound. It’s a fresh start for you, with a surprise in store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Female!Reader
> 
> Warnings: Swearing (as always)
> 
> Fluff. Yes, that’s right, folks. Fluff.

[Originally posted by itsjustmycrazyvibe](https://tmblr.co/Z_w6Kq26Rkf9u)

**Your POV**

**Move In Day, Early in the Morning.  
**

“Holy crap, this place is amazing,” Karen mumbled, leaning over the steering wheel to gaze slack-jawed at the buildings through her windshield. 

“Agreed,” you mumbled, eyes as wide as saucers as you watched a quinjet take off. You tore your gaze off of the shining buildings to read the email they’d sent. “According to the guard at the gate and the map they sent me, the living quarters should be… to the right,” you said, looking up and pointing right at the fork in the road. 

“Man, I’m so going to get lost on the way out of here,” Karen lamented as she studied the layout of the grounds. 

You snorted. “You could always ask The Vision for help. I bet he’d be more than happy to point you in the right direction.”

“Oh no. That’s so not happening. I’m not asking Magenta Cyborg for directions,” she said, laughing at the very thought. 

You tilted your head to the side. “I think he’s an android, technically,” you teased, grinning broadly. 

“Doesn’t matter. Still not asking him for directions,” Karen said dismissively, rolling her eyes at you. 

“Oh, there it is!” you said, pointing to the modern building a little farther down the road. “Wait, would you ask Captain America for directions?” you asked, curious. 

“Yeah, of course!” she said, as though it had been a stupid question. She pulled into a parking spot outside.

“But not Vision?” you asked, brows knit together in confusion. 

“Alright, we can talk about this later. Let’s get your stuff in your new place,” Karen said, rolling her eyes at your antics. “What floor and room number?” she asked as she stepped out of the car.

“Uhh…” you pulled out your phone and checked the email, eyes quickly scanning the text. “B6, room 603,” you informed her before shoving your phone back into your pocket. 

“Shit,” came Karen’s voice from the back of the car. 

“What’s up?” you asked, concerned. “Did something break?” 

“We forgot the hand truck,” Karen said, resting her forehead against the car frame in defeat. “We have to carry all of this in by hand,” she groaned, staring dispassionately at the building entrance a hundred yards away. 

You stared in horror at the boxes in the back seat and trunk. “We could… go back and get it? Or ask if they have one?” you asked tentatively. You didn’t feel like carrying each of these boxes from the car to your new room by hand. Some of them weighed a lot, and you and Karen weren’t exactly weight-lifting champions. 

“Let’s ask if they have one, first,” she said confidently as she closed the trunk and locked the doors. 

“Scuse me, are you ladies alright?” came a voice from behind you. You and Karen turned, and both of your jaws hit the ground. 

Steve Rogers was standing before you, looking huge but shockingly normal in a [tight] t-shirt and sweats. 

Movement behind him caught your eye and you leaned a little to the side to get a glimpse of the person standing behind him. When you recognized who it was, your eyes opened even wider in shock (which you didn’t think was possible). 

It was your mystery man. “You!” you exclaimed, unable to form a complete sentence. When your eyes traveled from his face to his metal arm, you nearly fainted. He waved lamely back at you, blush creeping into his cheeks.

“Me,” he confirmed.

* * *

**A Few Minutes Ago**

**Steve and Bucky’s POV**

[Originally posted by n-barnes](https://tmblr.co/ZCoG_j2JulDrY)

“Wait!” Bucky hissed, holding an arm out to stop Steve in his tracks. He yanked Steve behind one of the buildings, glancing worriedly over at the car parked outside of the residential building. Or, more accurately, the women standing next to the car parked outside of the residential building. 

“Bucky?” Steve asked confusedly, following his line of sight over to the two women. 

“That’s her!” he hissed, pointing animatedly at you, stress clear on his face. 

“What’s who?” Steve asked, still clearly confused. 

“That dame! Not the blond one on the driver side, the other one!” he whispered, pointing directly at you. “She’s the woman from New York! The one I spilled coffee on and took to Barneys!” he explained, anxiety clear in his voice. “What on earth is she doing here, Steve?” he asked his friend urgently. 

“Wait, that’s _the_ girl? The one you haven’t shut up about since you met her a couple days ago?” Steve asked, a look of understanding dawning on his face. 

Bucky glared at his friend, but nodded. “Yeah, Stevie. That one,” he said peeking around the side of the building to look at you. He was so distracted by you that he didn’t see Steve walking towards you and Karen until he was already most of the way there. He flew into action, sprinting across the grounds in an attempt to get to Steve before he got your attention.

He was too slow. 

“Scuse me, are you ladies alright?” Bucky heard him say. He skidded to a stop a few feet behind Steve and froze like a deer in the headlights when you and Karen turned around. 

He watched as you and Karen gaped at Steve. Why wouldn’t you, after all? He was Captain America. Still, the sight made Bucky a little jealous. He felt himself stop breathing when your gaze slid from Steve to him. 

He saw the exact moment when you recognized him, the spark of remembrance flashing across your eyes. Your eyes were almost comically wide at this point and you seemed to be having trouble forming words. 

He felt his heart beat faster in his chest. He wasn’t wearing a jacket and his t-shirt revealed his metal arm. He wasn’t sure if-

“You!” you trilled, shocked. Bucky watched in horror as your gaze traveled to his left arm. 

You looked like you were about to faint. He waved at you hesitantly with his right hand. “Me,” he confirmed simply. 

This was not how Bucky thought today would go.

* * *

**Your POV**

Your felt faint. You grabbed Karen’s arm to steady yourself. Was the sky spinning? The sky couldn’t be spinning. It doesn’t do that.

Here was your mystery man, in the flesh. And he was The Winter Soldier, an Avenger.

Karen looked back and forth from you to Bucky and then to Steve before she smiled. “Excuse me, Captain Rogers? Could you help me find a hand trolley? We forgot ours back at my apartment. These two can start unloading the car while we search,” she said, throwing Steve a too-bright smile. 

Steve, however, caught on smoothly. 

“Yeah, of course. Follow me,” he said, nodding his head towards the building entrance. 

You and Bucky watched as your blond-haired and blue-eyed traitor friends walked cheerfully inside, leaving the two of you alone next to the car. 

You both looked at each other, frozen. 

You decided to break the tension the exact same moment he did.

“I wanted t-” you began.

“I had no ide-” he muttered hesitantly.

You both snapped your mouths shut, giving each other apologetic looks before you started laughing. He joined in a half second later, his deep chuckle bringing heat to your cheeks. 

“You first,” he insisted, smiling broadly at you. 

You felt the tips of your ears heat up in embarrassment. “I, uh, wanted to say thank you for the other day. You didn’t have to do what you did and… I had a lot of fun,” you said quietly. 

“You did?” he asked, unable to hide the surprise and excitement in his voice. 

You nodded earnestly, genuine smile on your face from his reaction. The gossip and rumors didn’t get his personality right at all; He was earnest and kind, and you realized just how damaging the public opinion of him must be to his psyche. “I really did. I was… really sad when I didn’t get your name,” you said shyly, eyes glued to the ground.

“Me, too,” he said sincerely. You could hear the smile in his voice, making you look up and into those gorgeous steel blue eyes.

You felt your heart beat faster, threatening to beat right out of your chest. You realized you were leaning forward unconsciously and shook your head slightly, blinking a few times. 

“You were saying something? Before I interrupted?” you asked quietly, determinedly looking away from his gaze. No one man should have that much power with eyes alone. 

Bucky hid his disappointment when you looked away from him. “I had no idea you worked for the Avengers,” he said, motioning to the compound around him. 

“Oh, this is a new arrangement. That interview I had? It was for the Avengers,” you said, smiling proudly. 

Bucky’s heart pounded in his chest. That meant- “So you’re going to be living here?” he asked, nodding his head towards the boxes in the trunk. 

You smiled and nodded, and you decided to test the waters a bit. “She took the keys with her and the car’s locked, so… If you’d be willing, I’d love it if you would show me around the base?” you asked hesitantly, eyes searching his carefully. 

His smile was almost blinding and your heart fluttered in your chest. Yes, this man was too powerful for his own good. “I’d like that very much,” he said happily, unable to hide the way his eyes shone with excitement. He sobered a bit after a second. “But, first things first. What _is_ your name?” 

You laughed heartily at that. “(Y/N). (Y/N) (Y/L/N).”

He reached slowly and carefully for your hand with his metal one, gently gripping it in his hand, and brought it to his lips, brushing them lightly over your knuckles, eyes never leaving yours.

You were sure steam was coming out of your ears. It had to be. 

“It’s a pleasure to formally meet you, miss (Y/L/N). My name is James Buchanan Barnes, but you can call me Bucky,” he said with a wink. 

Yup, you were a goner. 

* * *

“So you work with the victims of all kinds of disasters and relocate them and their families?” Bucky asked as you made your way back towards Karen’s car. He was impressed, to say the least.

“Well, it’s less natural disasters and more… terrorism and corrupt governments?” you reasoned, shrugging slightly. “Good people in bad situations, mainly caused by other people.”

“You’re amazin’, Doll,” he said, awestruck. You dedicated your entire life to helping people and it was… admirable, to say the least. 

You looked away, embarrassed. “It’s… just the right thing to do,” you mumbled. 

He laughed at that. “You sound just like Steve,” he said, smirking. “Speaking of…” he muttered, causing you to look up. 

You were shocked. Not only were Steve and Karen waiting there, but seemingly half of the Avengers team, too. Wanda and Vision were talking with Karen who was smiling politely, but standing stiffly. Steve and Sam were talking animatedly about something you were too far away to hear, and Natasha was sitting patiently on the trunk.

“Dammit…” Bucky muttered under his breath. Of course they’d all stick their noses in this. 

You let out a nervous squeak beside him, freezing in place at the sight of so many legends. 

“You alright, (Y/N)?” he asked, eyeing you with concern. 

You shook your head rapidly, wide eyes never leaving the group. 

“They don’t bite, I promise,” he assured you easily. Then he seemed to reconsider his statement. “Well, Nat does, but only if you deserve it. Vision can be kinda blunt, but he’s not a bad guy. Sam makes a lot of jokes-” his voice promptly died in his throat when you reached for his right hand, lacing your fingers with his. 

He looked down at you, surprised. You sought comfort from him, afraid of the heroes in front of you? Today must be opposite day, but he decided not to question it.

“Ready to meet ‘em?” he asked gently, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze. 

You looked up at him, wide-eyed, trepidation clear on your face, and nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your life was turned upside down, but you’ve managed to make the most you could out of the wreckage that is your life, getting a new job with the Avengers… and discovering the identity of your mystery gentleman! The meddling of your friends gets you into a sticky situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Female!Reader
> 
> Warnings: Swearing (as always), fluff, violence
> 
> Thank you everyone for coming on this journey with me! It was a joy to write and I hope it was a joy to read.

[Originally posted by seabasschino](https://tmblr.co/Zk1IOm29svqi2)

Your first few weeks working at the base was a whirlwind of activity and you, somehow, seemed to find yourself around Bucky more often than not. 

You had a sneaking suspicion the other Avengers were to blame, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care. You were enjoying your time with him so much it was almost scary. Your first impression of him had been correct; he was just as kind and compassionate as he appeared, maybe even more so because of his past.

Natasha had subtly interrogated you under the guise of having a fun meal together, and Wanda kept trying to ask you about your (recently explosive) love life in the form of asking for relationship advice. Steve simply gave you suspiciously encouraging smiles whenever he saw the two of you together.

If Bucky noticed their actions, he didn’t say anything (except for once when he’d told Steve to buzz off when he’d gotten too obvious about eavesdropping).

Besides all the attempted match making and not-so-subtle prying into your thoughts on Bucky, your first couple weeks at the compound went smoothly. 

So, of course, leave it to the universe to throw you a curve ball.

“Hey, (Y/N)!” Nat called to you from across the office, earning her a few dirty glares from your coworkers. A few of them gave her friendly waves which she returned with a wave of her own accompanied by a smirk. 

“Hey, Nat. I was just finishing up,” you said at a much more reasonable volume than hers, closing out the spreadsheets and reports from your most recent case. 

“Perfect timing, then. Wanna go get dinner together? This new place just opened up downtown and I’ve been _dying_ to try it. Got a table reserved and everything,” she said, winking at you conspiratorially. 

“What, like a gal pal date?” you asked, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Well it sounds lame when you put it like that. I was thinking more along the lines of: Two strong independent women experiencing new haute cuisine as they get to know each other better, paid for unknowingly by a rich playboy philanthropist,” she said, smiling. 

“That sounds like the plot to a porno. A bad one,” you said, crossing your arms. 

She groaned and rested her forehead against your cubicle’s wall. “Will you come eat delicious sushi with me or not?” she asked, devoid of all emotion except annoyance. 

“You should have just led with ‘free sushi.’ Would have saved you some time,” you said, grinning.

“So that’s a yes? I don’t have to give the table away?” she asked, eyeing you expectantly. 

“Yeah, Nat. We can get sushi together. What time and where?” you asked as you turned your computer off and packed up your work bag.

“I’ll text it to you!” she promised, grinning as she quickly retreated back out of your office, giving you a wave as she disappeared out the door and around the corner. 

You sighed as you grabbed your bag and followed in her wake, heading back to the residential building.

You were halfway back when you ran straight into a wall and barely kept yourself from falling over. You winced, rubbing your nose tenderly. That really hurt. You looked up and realized it wasn’t a wall, but a person. 

You thought that had felt familiar. 

Bucky looked mortified, hands up in uncertainty as he searched you for any injuries. 

“We’ve got to stop running into each other like this, Soldier,” you said playfully, giving him a small smile. 

Realizing you were alright, he broke out into a smile, too. “That was a horrible joke,” he chastised, smile betraying his words.

“I thought it was pretty funny,” you countered, smiling mischievously. 

“I could come up with better material and I’m practically a fossil,” he said crossing his arms. “Anyway, where are you headed? Back to RB?” he asked, pointing over his shoulder to it with his thumb. 

“Yeah,” you said, glancing at it warily over his shoulder. You shuffled your feet a little, not wanting to leave his company just yet. 

He must’ve been having similar thoughts. “I can walk you back, if you’d like?” he asked hesitantly. 

You tried not to smile like an idiot at his offer and failed spectacularly. “Yeah, that would be nice,” you said pleasantly, trying to rein in your excitement. 

He reached his hand out towards your bag expectantly and you raised an eyebrow at him. Was he always the perfect gentleman? Probably. “Allow me,” he said easily, earnest smile on his lips. His blue eyes were so soft when he looked at you, you thought you were going to melt. 

“Thank you,” you said shyly, handing him the bag, which he slung over the shoulder opposite you. 

“You’re welcome,” he said genially, looking away, not quite able to hide the pink dusting his cheeks. 

You both wordlessly turned towards the residential building and began walking towards it (much, much slower than you had to).

“Got any plans tonight?” he asked suddenly, breaking the silence between the two of you. 

You looked at him, startled. You couldn’t even begin to fathom why he was asking you about your evening plans. Maybe he was just making polite small talk? That _would_ be the gentlemanly thing to do, wouldn’t it?

“Nat’s dragging me downtown to go to a new restaurant,” you said, slightly forced smile on your lips. You’d rather spend the evening in Bucky’s company, but you’d never tell him that. There was no way he felt the same way about you. 

You were so preoccupied with your own thoughts you missed the flash of disappointment on Bucky’s face. “Yeah, Steve’s dragging me out tonight, too.” He’d hoped he could cancel with Steve and spend the evening with you, but it seemed you had other plans. 

“Oh? Where to?” you asked as the two of you entered the residential building. He, of course, held the door open for you. 

“I wasn’t listening too closely. Something about some new art exhibit or something?” he said sheepishly. 

“Oh, I heard about that! Its opening tonight, I think! They have an exhibit featuring pieces from people who’re from countries torn apart by war! It’s amazing, compelling, and intense, from what I hear,” you said excitedly. One of the families you’d helped had a son who had a piece in the gallery, and you’d wanted to go and see it but hadn’t had the time to get yourself a ticket.

“I could take you some time, if you wanted,” his mouth blurted out before his brain had time to process the sentence. His eyes widened, terrified, as his gaze snapped to yours, but you were smiling widely. 

“That would be amazing!” you said eagerly. You seemed to realize how excited you were because you glanced away, eyes trained on the wall as you pressed the button for the elevator. “I mean, uh. That would be fun. I think I would enjoy that,” you said more evenly, heat creeping into your cheeks. You needed to calm down before he thought you were a weirdo.

He frowned as both of you stepped onto the elevator. He pressed the button for your floor (he’d memorized your floor level and room number the first time you told him, but he’d never admit that to anyone). You were so hard to read sometimes. One minute you seemed thrilled to be around him, the next you seemed indifferent to his presence. He wondered if he’d just lost all ability to read women between now and the 40′s. It was entirely possible and the thought made him nauseous. 

“Me too,” he said sincerely, smiling at you. 

“How did your last mission go?” you asked as the elevator made its way downwards. 

“For once, it actually went perfectly. Everyone got their tasks done at exactly the right time, and all hostages were recovered unharmed… Well, mostly unharmed. One guy tripped over his own two feet and gave himself a bloody nose on the ground, but I’m not counting that,” he said, snorting at the memory. The elevator doors opened and the two of you exited and headed towards your room.

You smirked at the man in the story. “Well, I suppose he should be thankful to only have a bloody nose. I know I would be. Good job, Bucky,” you said, smiling earnestly at him. 

“Well, as some pretty amazing people once told me, it’s the right thing to do,” he said, winking slyly at you.

You gulped probably a bit too loudly. Bucky thought you were amazing? You couldn’t stop the excited grin that lit up your features. 

A moment later you were at your room’s door. You punched the pin number into the number pad (Bucky averted his eyes) and the door swung open easily. Bucky handed you your bag and, if you didn’t know any better, seemed reluctant to do so. 

“I’ll see you later?” he asked as casually as he could manage. 

You smiled at him. “Yeah, see you later,” you agreed. You paused, torn, and, before you could stop yourself, you threw your arms around his waist and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you for walking me back!” you squeaked. You released him quickly and retreated back into your room, glancing over your shoulder at the last second before the door closed.

He was standing there, looking confused, hand raised slightly to wave goodbye, though he seemed frozen in place. He couldn’t even get his thoughts together enough to wish you a good night.

Your heart was pounding in your chest. _Oh god, why did I hug him? That was so weird! He was looking at me like I had two heads. Oh, hell, I’m not going to be able to look him in the face tomorrow. Probably never again, for that matter,_ you lamented. 

Your phone vibrated and you dug it out of your pocket. It was a text from Nat, detailing where and when you’d be going for dinner tonight. It said she had business in town so she’d be going ahead of you and that you should meet her there. You sent a quick text to Wanda, asking to borrow her car, to which she happily responded that you could. 

The time for the reservation was looming closer, so you got changed. You settled on wearing the blouse Bucky had bought you and a nice pair of navy pants and followed it up with your favorite pair of flat-heeled boots. You refreshed your makeup, and, with a satisfied look in the mirror, grabbed your purse and headed out the door. 

Wanda was in a great mood as she handed off her keys to you, making you promise to have fun and be safe. You’d agreed, but her enthusiasm was suspiciously high for lending someone her car. You decided to ignore it and made your way to the garage.

* * *

Half an hour later you were pulling into the parking garage next to the restaurant. You locked the car up and headed to the elevator, pulling out your phone as you went. 

You dialed Nat’s number and she picked up as you were exiting the elevator. 

“Hey, (Y/N)!” She said, sounding distracted.

“Hey, Nat. I’m here, are you inside already?” you asked, making your way towards the restaurant. 

“Oh, perfect! Just make your way inside, tell them you have a reservation under the name ‘Stark,’” Natasha said. You could hear some people talking in the background, meaning she must have been inside already. 

“Alright, see you in a sec,” you said, then ended the call. 

You gave the maitre d’ the name Stark. 

He nodded, “Ah, yes, the other member of your party has already arrived. Right this way,” he said, gesturing for you to follow a different server, who started walking into the restaurant. 

You had to hand it to them, this restaurant was beautiful. Sleek, elegant, and modern but somehow still capturing the beauty of ancient Japan. If the food was even half as nice as the decor, you’d have to come back again. 

You were so distracted that you nearly ran into the server when he stopped, mumbling an apology as you looked over at Nat, smile on your face. 

Only, it wasn’t Nat sitting at the table. It was Bucky, and he looked just as surprised as you.

[Originally posted by ghostwritingforyou](https://tmblr.co/ZXlCrg27yF5EF)

The smile slid straight off of your face. Had you given the wrong name? Were you hallucinating? Suddenly, your mind flashed back to talking to Wanda and Natasha today. They’d both been too excited and too insistent that you go out tonight. Recalling the phone call… hadn’t that been Sam and Wanda talking in the background? 

_They’d set this up._

“Are you alright, miss?” the server asked, looking at you with concern. 

“Ah, uh. Yes. I’m just fine,” you said, smile returning in earnest. Damn those two. They’d pay for this… but until then, you’d enjoy tonight. 

“Here, allow me,” Bucky said quickly, standing to pull your chair out for you. He’d seemed just as shocked as you had a moment ago, but he was already regaining his composure. 

“Thank you,” you said, heat dusting your cheeks as you took your seat and he pushed it in for you. He sat back down in his chair, a knowing smile on his face. 

The waiter took your drink orders down, promising to return in a few minutes for your orders. 

“Let me guess, you had no idea I’d be here,” Bucky said casually.

“And _you_ had no idea _I’d_ be here,” you countered, peeking at him over the menu. 

“Natasha, right?” he asked knowingly.

“And Wanda,” you said, grinning. “Steve?” 

He nodded. “Told me he got a mission last minute, but he’s a rotten liar. Didn’t feel like puttin’ this reservation to waste, though.”

“What about your tickets to the opening of the art museum?” you asked, remembering the conversation from earlier. 

“Still have ‘em. Would you.. still feel like going? With me?” he asked shyly. 

Your heart fluttered in your chest. This was just like… a date? “Yeah, I’d like to go. With you,” you said awkwardly. You hid your face in your menu, unable to look at him. 

If you had, though, you would have seen the dazzling smile on his face. 

“Are you ready to order?” the server asked, returning with notepad in hand. 

You glanced at each other, both nodding that you were ready. 

“Ladies first,” Bucky said, nodding his head politely towards you.

* * *

An hour later you were leaving the restaurant, full of sushi and miso soup. Now that you’d calmed down enough to finally get a look at him, you had to admit he looked amazing- well, even more amazing than normal. He was wearing a tight-fitting leather jacket that he’d taken off in the restaurant, and it left little to the imagination. His muscles were defined under the supple-looking leather, but the jacket had nothing on the pants. You had to consciously avoid looking at his ass, for fear of looking like a complete creep. It was difficult. Altogether it looked like a-

“Wanna ride with me to the gallery?” he asked jerking his thumb at an **[impressive black motorcycle](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2Fcc%2Fbd%2F2a%2Fccbd2a79335c61e7d0318b27b9b57125.jpg&t=YTFmZjEyOTQ1MWNjNTkyYTYzNjI3ZGJjYTk1ODFmNzVlZTY0MmI2NSxwbFRQMEh6Ng%3D%3D&b=t%3A4l8H5p2Bp3t08hq4V2RMBA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fgreen-eyeddragonfanfiction.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166797311914%2Fa-bump-in-the-road-chapter-5&m=1)** behind him.

-a motorcycle suit. 

You looked from him to the motorcycle and back. He grabbed the helmet, which had been strapped to the front of the bike, and offered it to you. 

“You’re serious?” you asked hesitantly. 

His face fell, hand dropping slightly. “If you don’t want to, it’s fine, I just-”

“I want to!” you said hurriedly, grabbing the helmet. He smiled, relieved, and you felt your heart flutter a bit. 

_Oh, god, **is this really happening?**_ you thought excitedly to yourself. He swung his leg easily over the massive bike while you put the helmet on. He looked over at you and chuckled, beckoning you over to him with a wave. You stepped forward, confused.

He reached up and brushed your hair out of the way gently before carefully buckling the helmet. 

“Won’t do you much good if it flies off,” he said, smiling. 

“I trust your ability to not get us into a situation where that would even happen,” you said cheekily as you clambered on the bike behind him. “Don’t you need one?” you asked curiously. 

“Legally? Yes. Physically? Not so much,” he said, grinning. “You should hold on,” he warned as the machine roared to life. 

You panicked for a half second. Hold on? Hold on where? When he kicked the stand up and the bike righted itself completely you lurched forward, wrapping your arms around his waist. Satisfied that you weren’t about to fall off he pulled easily away from the curb and, like that, you were off to the art museum on the back of Bucky’s motorcycle. You thanked your lucky stars you’d chosen to wear pants. 

As you got more used to being on the bike, you relaxed a bit, but you still kept a firm hold on Bucky. It was hard to ignore the hard planes of muscles you felt underneath his jacket, or the way your body felt tucked against his. You tried to fight down your impure thoughts by enjoying the scenery speeding past, but your thoughts kept going back to Bucky every time you felt the subtle shift of his muscles and limbs as he expertly wove in and out of New York traffic. 

Too soon for your liking, you arrived at the gallery. Bucky parked the bike outside, and you stepped off first. What you hadn’t been expecting was for your legs nearly giving out underneath you. Your hand flew to his shoulder to steady yourself, but he’d already caught you around the waist with his right arm.

“First time on a motorcycle?” he asked kindly. 

“Yeah,” you said breathlessly as you took the helmet off. You hoped you didn’t have helmet hair. You took a few deep breaths and stood up straight, a little more confident in your legs’ ability to hold you up now that you’d calmed down a bit. He slowly let you go and you missed the warmth and comfort his arm had provided you.

“Did you like it, at least?” he asked, putting the helmet back on the bike as he stepped off, trepidation clear on his face.

“Are you kidding me? That was amazing!” you said excitedly, smiling brightly. 

He smiled back. “Glad you liked it,” he said, shoving his keys in his pocket. “Now, I think we have some art to appreciate?” he asked, holding his elbow out for you to take. You smiled bashfully and took it, and the two of you walked towards the exhibit. 

* * *

You should have known tonight was _too_ good. You didn’t have luck like that.

“(Y/N)?” a voice asked from behind you. You knew that voice-

Both you and Bucky turned to its source, and you felt your blood freeze in your veins.

“I thought that was you!” Austin said excitedly as he trotted up to you like a lost puppy. “You haven’t been answering my calls or texts! You left some of your things at my place-” 

Not wanting to create a scene, you grabbed Bucky’s arm and quickly began dragging him towards the door. He looked confused, but you couldn’t explain what was happening just then. Maybe, just maybe, if you got out of there right then you could pretend this never happened; like you’d never seen your bastard ex.

You were stopped by him grabbing your wrist. “Wait, (Y/N)! I wasn’t done talking to you!” he said testily, forcing you to turn and look at him with a hard tug on your arm. 

You tried to wrench your wrist from his grasp, but his grip was like iron. 

“I know things between us got a little messy, but I’ve changed! I haven’t seen that woman since things blew up that day. I cut her out of my life. I realized how much I love you and-“

“Let her go,” Bucky said, tone deadly. He’d stepped between you and Austin, towering over him by at least half a foot. He had to be about twice as wide, too. 

“Who the hell are you, pal?” Austin asked, eyeing the way you placed a hand on Bucky’s back, seeking comfort. 

“James Barnes, but most people call me Bucky,” he said, holding his left hand out for Austin to shake, metal shining in the fluorescent lights. 

Austin blanched almost comically as he looked down at Bucky’s hand then back up at his face, but, to his credit, stood his ground, ignoring the outstretched hand. He did, however, let go of your wrist, which you rubbed tenderly.

“I was talking to (Y/N), not you,” he said, jutting his chin out as he glared up at Bucky. 

“I don’t think she wants to talk to you, pal,” Bucky said, warning clear in his voice. 

He turned his attention from Bucky to you, eyes softening immediately. “Baby, please. We can talk about this. I miss you. I _love_ you,” he said, simpering smile on his face. How had you _ever_ loved this man?

“Piss off,” you said, glaring angrily at him, turning on your heel. You grabbed Bucky’s hand and dragged him behind you. He gave you a reassuring squeeze as he followed you towards the door, acknowledging you needed to get out of there without asking questions you didn’t want to answer just then. 

When Austin opened his mouth again you’d only made it a few steps. His words made your blood boil in a way it hadn’t when he’d been talking about you. 

“You sure replaced me quick, baby. And with that fucking monster, too,” he spat loudly enough for most of the patrons in the exhibit to turn and watch the scene playing out in front of them. 

You turned to look at him slowly, face murderous. “What did you just say?” you hissed venomously. 

“Doll, we should just go-” Bucky said. You’d caught the way his face had darkened at Austin’s words. It seemed like he, too, wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but you just couldn’t. 

“I said you’re with a goddamned monster!” Austin yelled, loving the attention. “Do you even know how many people he’s killed? The bastard has a metal arm, for chrissake!” 

You dropped Bucky’s hand and closed the distance between you and Austin in a few long strides. Austin was so preoccupied looking at the audience he’d gathered, he didn’t see your fist flying straight for his face. It connected to his jaw with a satisfying _smack_ , and his head flew to the side. He lost his balance and nearly fell over. You grabbed his designer tie and tugged him forward, pulling him down to your eye level. 

“You don’t know the first thing about him, you cheating sack of shit!” You yelled, kneeing him in the groin. He doubled over, clutching at his manhood, a choice string of expletives leaving his lips in a hiss. “He’s a kind, good man who’s served his country for longer than you’ve been alive. He couldn’t control what those fucks in Hydra made him do, and you sure as hell don’t get to sit there and judge him while he takes back control of his life, you pathetic fucking excuse for a human being,” you said, releasing his tie and shoving him backwards. “If you talk to me ever again, you’ll regret it,” you said dangerously, giving him one last glare before you spun on your heel. You heard him mutter angrily under his breath, but he had the good sense to stop talking to you.

Bucky was standing there, a mixture of awe and shock on his face.

“Let’s get out of here,” you muttered, suddenly embarrassed, and grabbed his hand as you made a hasty retreat towards the door before security could make an appearance. 

Once you were out on the street and halfway down the block, you stopped, the tears that had been threatening to spill flowing freely down your face.

You thought you’d gotten past it; Gotten through those ugly feelings, buried them inside yourself, but you were wrong. Seeing that bastard again had drudged it all up again, leaving you as raw, exposed, and hurt as the day it happened. 

You were surprised when Bucky’s arms closed around you, pulling you gently to his chest. That was all it took for you to start sobbing in earnest, makeup likely ruining his shirt. He held you, stroking your hair gently, murmuring comforting words into your hair, for who knew how long. Time didn’t seem to have any meaning while you were falling apart at the seams. 

When you’d finally calmed down a little bit, tears mostly dried, he spoke up, his voice a deep rumble in his chest. “You were amazing in there, Doll,” he mumbled, leaning back a little to peek down at you, his blue eyes studying you closely. 

You hummed noncommittally, burying your face in his chest in embarrassment.

“Did you really mean all that? About me?” he asked tentatively, rubbing your back comfortingly. 

Without removing your face from his chest, you nodded slowly, heat creeping up from your neck to your cheeks. 

You missed the look of stunned happiness on his face, too scared to look up at him as you were. 

“Hey, Doll?” he asked, smile clear in his voice. You pulled back enough to peek up at him hesitantly, eyes widening when you saw the look on his face.

If you had to assign a word to it, it would be… adoration, maybe?

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” he asked bravely, bolstered by your earlier words.

You jaw dropped. He was asking you out, even after everything that just happened? He… didn’t care about your emotional outburst just now? Or the baggage you obviously came with? You realized he was waiting for an answer, and closed your gaping mouth with a _snap_. 

“You mean… this wasn’t a date?” you asked, unsure. It sure had felt like one. 

“I mean… I want to go on a date with you, where I ask you out myself- and we decide what to do… without the meddling of our well-meaning friends,” he explained, smile unsure. 

“So this _was_ a date?” you teased, eyebrow raised, small smile on your lips.

“If you want it to be, definitely,” he said, hope clear in his voice. 

Ah, you’d been an oblivious fool, hadn’t you? Feeling brave, you pulled him down by the collar of his jacket while you stood on your tip toes and placed a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips. You pulled back before he could even process what had happened. He stared at you as though you were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen and cupped your cheek with his hand, stroking it gently with his thumb.

“Yes,” you said simply, leaning into his touch as you beamed up at him.

“Yes?” he asked, eyebrows raised in confusion. 

“Yes, I want this to be a date, and I’d love to go on another one with you,” you said, chuckling a little at his dumbfounded expression. 

Suddenly, you found yourself lifted in the air and your hands flew to his shoulders as he spun you around, holding you by the back of your legs, laughing happily. The world stopped spinning as he set you down gently and leaned down until he was about eye level with you. 

“May I kiss you?” he asked, tone clearly saying he thought he was overstepping, but you smiled shyly and nodded. 

He beamed at you, closing his eyes as he closed the small distance between you, his soft lips crashing against yours. You kissed back eagerly, wrapping your arms around his neck as his snaked around your waist, pulling you to his chest. The world fell away around you until there was only Bucky and the way his lips felt against yours; the way you fit perfectly against him. You decided you liked the feeling very much and never wanted it to stop. You needed to come up for air eventually, though, and he broke the kiss, the both of you panting slightly, eyes filled with emotion. He leaned his forehead against yours, smiling widely, and you returned it, your smile lighting up your face.

 _Yes_ , you thought to yourself. _I could get used to this._


End file.
